1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates in general to fuses for vehicle battery connections and more specifically to a fuse device that mounts over and around a corner of a battery housing so the fuse device is stable during electrical cable attachment and vehicle operation.
2. Discussion of Related Art
Various mounting structures for use in distributing electrical current from an automotive battery through integral fuses to several circuits are known in the art. In U.S. Pat. No. 7,176,780, for example, a fuse unit hangs relatively free of the battery and relies mainly if not solely on the support of the battery post to which it attaches. In U.S. Pat. No. 5,645,448, the main fuse is located in a module mounted on a top surface of a battery. Only the terminals on the electrical cables can contact the battery side walls when a twisting force is applied to the module.
High twisting forces caused by torque generated when terminated electrical cables are attached to the fuse units or modules can damage the connection between the battery terminal and post. The fuse or fuses within the units or modules may also be broken or the electrical connections with the fuses may become unreliable. For such types of components supported mainly by the battery post, a fuse device capable of withstanding the torque required to attach large gauge wires without damage to the fuse device or electrical connections with the fuses and battery would seem to be beneficial to the art.